Running for Them: 3 Moms Bond by Running for Their Kids With Cancer

In August and September of 2017, three mothers from Kansas each received the news that no parent thinks will come their way: a child diagnosed with cancer. While moms Portia Wright, Sandi Curry, and Michelle Masters didn’t know one another at the time, they soon learned that coping with the tears, pain, and fear of such troubling news was made easier when they were together.

All within a month of one another—two of their diagnoses were called on the same day—the families’ worlds changed. The three kids were pulled out of school, and their bodies immediately entered into a battle.

Each fight with cancer was different and jarring. What was thought to be just cramps for a tall, skinny boy being trapped in the backseat on a vacation trip turned into an 8-by-10-centimeter tumor that fractured the pelvic bone of 15-year-old Brett Wright. In 16-year-old Emily Curry’s case, it started on a family hike in her mother’s home state of Washington. She was unusually out of breath, and later, after showing symptoms of high fevers and itchy feet, a scan showed a 5-inch mass spread across her heart and lung. Finally, the common childhood problem of swollen tonsils turned into a much more serious issue for 7-year-old Emerie Masters, who also had a tumor that had wedged itself down her throat, closing off her major airways. Ewing Sarcoma, Hodgkins Lymphoma, and Burkitt Lymphoma—three versions of one curse: cancer.

But as their children began rounds of hospital visits and treatments, the moms’ bond also drew out another blessing that would carry these families down this long, sixth-month journey: running.

The connection started because each family had the same oncologist and nurse, Dr. David Rosen and his wife, Kim. Rosen keeps an “open door” policy at his oncology office in Wichita. The atmosphere allows children to interact with each other, sit on comfy bean bag chairs and play video games while the parents mingle in the hallway. Instead of being kept in an isolating hospital room, families are reminded they are not alone in the fight.

“As mothers, we bond… especially since all three of us are in the medical field,” said Portia Wright, 48, a nurse from Wichita. “We know the worst-case scenario, so we pull together.”

Brett Wright, and his sister Mackenzie, in the hospital.

Portia Wright

Once the friendship formed, there was no going back. Chats in the hallway between their kids’ rooms quickly led to coffee dates, then long lunches. The three still meet regularly, usually for several hours. When they do, they said the uphill climb seems more manageable. The moms laugh and cry together, from funny things their children did that day to how treatment for one child went.

Before long, Sandi Curry, 40, an OR scheduler for cardiothoracic surgeons from Haysville, was approached by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Wichita running group, Team in Training, which wanted to make Emily their honor patient this spring.

“That got me thinking, ‘I used to run. I used to be athletic,” Curry told Runner’s World. “I should do this for my daughter.”

Related video: Inspiration for the Running for Charity Movement Finishes First 26.2

Curry then set the goal of running a 5K for every chemotherapy or radiation treatment her daughter endured. Because of her newfound friendship, she asked her two new friends to join her, with Kim Rosen from the oncology office also joining the charge.

Sandi Curry and her daughter Emily, 16, who is battling Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Sandi Curry

“I was like, ‘the last thing I want to do, and the thing I hate to do, is run,’” Wright said. “But my son doesn’t want to have to be fighting cancer either. Why don’t I step out of my box, do something I really don’t want to do, honor my son in it, honor his fight, and bring awareness? And it’s a way to better myself physically and mentally.”

All three moms do their best to keep one another accountable about running every week. Since they live in towns 30 to 60 minutes apart, they’ll send each other texts to check in and see how the others are holding up. Wright said she sometimes ran around Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita to clear her mind while her son recovered from fevers or blood transfusions.

Starting to run not only honored their children, but it gave the mothers the self-care they needed to cope with the stress.

“I find [running] to be very therapeutic,” Curry said. “I cried through some of my runs, just to release the emotions. You put in your music, you zone out the stress of life, you zone out the stress of work. You just let go, enjoy it, and run.”

Curry has lost 52 pounds since beginning her running journey in November. Masters plans on upping her mileage for a 10K race in April, hopes to run a half marathon by the end of year (along with Curry), and complete a full marathon next year.

The Wright family plans to run the Race to Cure Sarcoma 5K in Denver, Colorado, which is on Brett’s diagnosis anniversary, September 15. Wanting a race closer to home, Wright worked some magic and will help set up the same race in Kansas City for August. All the proceeds will go toward research grants.

If they run a race for every chemo and radiation treatment, the trio will run a total of 42 races. While these mothers proved their unwavering love and service to their children, they would argue they do not deserve all the praise. To them, Brett, Emily, Emerie, and all other kids battling cancer are the true heroes.

Brett is on round seven of chemotherapy out of 17, but his scans show the tumor has resolved. If it stays that way, he won’t have to go through radiation. Emily endured four rounds of chemo, and finished her 15 rounds of radiation this week. Emerie completed her six rounds of chemo, and depending on the results of her upcoming scans, she could be done with treatment.

“These kids who fight cancer… that is true strength,” Masters said. “Everyone says, ‘Oh, you moms are so strong!’ Well, any parent would do what you have to do for your child.”

Wright said that Brett has grown through the entire journey, using his wit and humor to get the family through a lot of tough days. Curry said Emily stayed positive, dedicated herself to school, and is focused on going to college.

For 7-year-old Emerie, “[She] is the true definition of resilient,” Masters said. “She’s kept us laughing.”

Emerie Masters, 7, is currently fighting Burkitt Lymphoma.

Michelle Masters

Beyond victory over cancer for Emerie, there’s one more thing Masters wants for her outgoing daughter.

“When I first started running, Emerie was my little running buddy,” Masters said. “I’d love for her to join me on some of these runs, again. I will keep this up until you can join me, and then we’ll do it together.”

McGee NallContributing WriterAfter a summer internship with Runner’s World in 2017, McGee has somehow convinced the team to let her keep writing for them as a freelancer.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Runner's World participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.